For the life was manifested and
we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal
life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. That
which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you
may also have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is
with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things
write we unto you that your joy may be full. And as we mentioned
before, the book of John, no more than the other portions
of scripture that the Spirit has guided John into, or other
ones that have pinned the scriptures, the same thing is to be said
of them. We've seen in Zechariah and other
places in Numbers when it talks about false prophets and those
that bring out those things that the Lord has not said and said
there is, here it says, those things that we've seen and heard
declare we unto you. And he mentioned above there
that he'd been in the presence of the Lord himself of the true
word of life in that regard. And it's capitalized in the scripture
here as it should be the word of life speaking about the Lord
himself. And the only thing that can be
declared by his people is what they know, what God has revealed
them in the scriptures. Not aside from the scriptures,
not other things that come to mind or thoughts we have. Those
are not inspired. They may come from being in the
word and those thoughts, how he uses it to apply to us and
those different circumstances and things that we face in life,
but those are not Those are not inspired as far as the word goes,
but the spirit does indeed speak to us through the scripture and
those things are from God above and not from our thinking and
our thoughts only. John declares what he had physically
seen and heard and had spiritually been shown, not just outward
aspects of being with our Lord, but most importantly, the truths
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the needful message to
sinners, to us. whether the unregenerate, unrepentant
sinners to them that may be the lost sheep, but also to his people
that are redeemed sinners. We're still in that in that category
of sinners were redeemed sinners, but indeed the same message of
the gospel to those that are unbelievers that the spirit uses
to bring them in and to reveal himself to them, that same message
is food for God's people. Indeed, the only thing, the only
message that can be brought is those that the scripture plainly
shows us, and the Spirit makes real to us in that way. And there's
many places, and I think 24 times, if I remember from previous lessons,
in the epistle of 1 John, that it says, hereby we know, or hereby
we are assured of, or we know these things, that he just mentioned
different aspects of what the Lord has shown and does for his
people, And then he'll say, hereby we know that we're in him, if
this is so. And we know that by his spirit,
if he's revealed himself to us, not only those things are so,
it can be hereby we know and then point to those things. Because
even things that we don't see as fulfilled and as done in our
life as we would like them, We know that if we are under His
blood and covered by His righteousness, all those things that He says
will be done and is done for us, is done for us. Even though
we see darkly at things. Anyhow, those are the things
that, as he says, we declare those things. We're going to
look at several passages that Paul has to say in many
places. Not Paul as he says of his own,
but what he was given. declares unto us, the same as
John said. And all of those, as we've seen
in Zechariah, and we've seen in Numbers where we've been lately
in those things, the Lord of hosts said this, and that's what
Moses recorded and delivered to us. That which he was given,
he delivered to us, and we have that physical word of that. And
by that physical word, then the spirit reveals himself by his
word to his people. So in 1 Corinthians, we're going
to be in a number of spots, but turn with me to 1 Corinthians
if you would please. First Corinthians and the first
chapter and familiar passage that we've read at some length,
but I'm going to read several portions of it. First Corinthians
chapter one, starting with verse one. It says, Paul called to
be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Sosthenes,
our brother. Under the church of God, which
is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called
to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name.
of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto
you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always on your behalf for the grace of God which
is given you by Jesus Christ, that in everything you are enriched
by him, in all utterance and in all knowledge. even as the
testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that ye come behind
in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who
shall confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the
day of our Lord Jesus Christ? God is faithful by whom ye were
called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In this portion he speaks of
that to his people this is given, to God's people that this particular
letter is written to at the Corinthians and that God that has confirmed it says the testimony
of Christ in you that we come behind in no good thing for the
coming of our Lord, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. and that you may be blameless in him, if we stand in him. It's not blameless because of
what we are, and Paul at great length in a couple of places
said, if you think you stand in your own stead as pretty good,
and he lists quite a credentials he had in the Pharisees and the
Jews religion above others in many ways and stuff and he said
that it's worthless, there's no benefit to it and if anybody
could attest to the worthlessness of religion At the highest level,
he could do that and did do that. There's no standing in that,
and we'll see that a little later yet in this particular reading.
And then skipping down to verse 17 of 1 Corinthians 1, it says,
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made
of none effect. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it
is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not
God. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require
a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ
crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness,
but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God and the wisdom of God." In kind of a nutshell,
what the preaching of the gospel is and is not. And as he says
here, that it's the Power of God, the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ via the spirit is the power of God unto salvation. And he says here, it says here, just a second. It says the foolish
of, oh, let me, just a second. There's a phrase here. that by
the foolishness of preaching, and it's been said before many
times over this and kind of maybe tongue-in-cheek or a little joke,
but there's no joke to it, it's not by foolish preaching, it's
by foolishness to natural man, the preaching of the word makes
no sense. What makes sense is, I must do
something, as many instances we see in the New Testament,
particularly with the Lord and others, the apostles, when people
say, what must I do? And they bring it back around
and direct them to the Lord Himself, and it's been done. He has accomplished
all that is required for the salvation of his people. It's
not anything we do in that tract that I think there's some still
around. Do or done. It's either if we
seek about to do it, it's going to fail. If it's done,
which it is, which he said it is done, we stand on a solid
rock that way and not others. So it's not by foolish preaching
that men may come up with things to say, but as John said there,
and pretty safe ground to stand on when we approach the scripture,
is I declare that which I was shown. and by the Spirit, and
not aside from what the Scriptures say, but only according to what
the Scriptures say. And the Spirit's not going to
lead his people any other direction. It's There's not, it's not gonna
happen. There's not gonna be, it's not
gonna be something that's a foreign or a strange gospel. And we're gonna look at another
spot when he talks about, some of them appeared to fall away
in some regards. And he says, I'm amazed you follow
another gospel, which is not another gospel. There's only
one and we will, look at that in just a second. But in Acts
chapter 13, so we preach the power of God and the wisdom of
God, not wisdom of man. In Acts chapter 13, which is wonderful chapter as all we have,
of course, but in chapter 13, I think it's still Paul and Barnabas
here, and start with verse 38 of Acts 13, and going
down a bit, speaking about the Lord himself, Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin, one that was raised from the dead by God,
the Lord himself. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin, and by him all that believe are justified
from all things from which you could not be justified by the
law of Moses. Beware, therefore, lest that
come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets. Behold, ye
despisers, and wander and perish. For I work a work in your days,
a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare
it unto you. And when the Jews were gone out
of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might
be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now, when the congregation
was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed
Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue
in the grace of God. And the next Sabbath day came
almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But
when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and
spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting
and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed
bold and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first
have been spoken to you, but seeing ye put it from you and
judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn
to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal
life believed. And the word of the Lord was
published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred
up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city,
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled
them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of
their feet against them, and came unto Iconium, and the disciples
were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost." And up here,
the preaching of the word accomplishes that which God sent it there
unto. always does, always has, and here in a particular example,
when it says here, Gentiles were glad, they wanted to hear it
preached again. It was preached again, and that it says here,
they glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained
to eternal life, believed. And that's one of the things
that we, Amen to God that he has ordained those and that he,
by his word, does indeed bring them into himself. Christ is
preached, when Christ is preached, that
is the true and only gospel we have and must be so. While we're in 1 Corinthians
chapter 1, or we were in, back up just a minute to Yes, 1 Corinthians chapter 1
again. There's another little part here I want to look at or
mention that we're going to read. We're going to read 1 Corinthians
chapter 1, start with verse 25 and down a bit. It says, verse
25, after it says, but to them which
are called both Jews and Greeks, verse 24, Christ, the power of
God and the wisdom of God, verse 25, because the foolishness of
God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than
men. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
to confound things which are mighty, and the base things of
the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are,
that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written,
he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And here again,
this is the one, again, the core of this gospel, the core of the
gospel to us is that a couple of things here, that he uses
the lowly things of the world and not the mighty. I think of
the example we have that we've looked at and talked about several
times lately about the Pharisee and the publican praying and
the one prayed to himself how great he was and the publican
prayed to God that he would be merciful unto him. And that is indeed those things
that God is speaking about here, the mighty things of the world
are nothing, and the lowly things are that of God's people, are
of those things. not only should no flesh glory,
but of God are ye in Christ Jesus. He's made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. And we looked at that sometime
back in those verses in Corinthians and in those four things You
can unfold those four things and see all the completeness
of God's salvation that he provides to his people and in himself. Christ is made unto us those
things as it reveals those things. Those are what are preached by
Paul and others and God's people. That's what must be preached.
That's what the gospel is. In Galatians, in the book of Galatians chapter
1. The book of Galatians chapter
one, the first few verses, it starts with verse one. Paul, an apostle, not of men,
neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who
raised him from the dead, and all the brethren which are with
me unto the churches of Galatia. Grace be unto you and peace from
God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and of our Father, to whom be
glory forever and ever. Amen. And there it speaks of
what the gospel is again, it's in a very concise couple of verses
there. Here in verse one, there's a
couple of things there. It speaks of Paul an apostle
by God, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him
from the dead. And that can be taken two ways. Our God, our Father, raised our
Lord from the dead, also raised Paul from the dead. And God's
people testify that we were dead. And as it says in the places
that God puts a new heart in his people, he puts life where
it was just dead. He puts the bones together and
all the parts together. And it can look like a man, but
until he breathes life in it, like in Ezekiel there, there
was no life in them, just like the house of Israel at that time,
or any of God's people. They're in that same situation.
They might look like there's life there, but until he regenerates
his people, there's not true life there, and it's by his hand. And in Galatians also, starting
with verse six then, I marveled that you are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ to another
gospel, which is not another, but there are some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But we, though we
or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel. preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed. For do I now persuade men or
God? Do I seek to please men? For
if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
And up here where he says, he marveled that you are so soon
removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel. And he says, which is not another
gospel, but some that trouble you would pervert the gospel
of Christ. And that is something that God's
people are and must be on guard for, that anything that we hear
is weighed against what the scripture says. And it's not Paul here
saying, believe what I had to say because of what I said, but
as he's mentioned before, Apostle by God, giving these things. And as he was led to write these
things down by the inspiration of the Spirit, those things are
what he's talking about. He's not just talking about listen
to Paul because Paul is so great, because Paul already said before,
I'm not coming with fancy words in my own education, but those
things that we have seen and heard, and as John said, those
things that we have gotten from God, that's what we bring forth
in from the gospel. In Ephesians, in the book of Ephesians, starting
with verse one, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God, to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful
in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. to the
praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted
in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, wherein
he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having
made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his
good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even
in him. in whom we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh
all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should
be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ,
in whom he also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after that ye believed
ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit. of promise which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession unto the praise of his glory. People often skip down to chapter
2 of Ephesians and it's been said many times you can't get
to chapter 2 unless you start with chapter 1 and chapter 1
is a true blessing to God's people because it says in pretty plain
language what God has done for a people that he set aside for
himself, and those things that he has done, and indeed the true
gospel here, and as it says here in verse 13, in whom ye trusted,
speaking of Christ, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, in whom after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And in that,
after we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation,
and that doesn't mean just the words of it. It's like in Luke,
at the end of Luke, when the Lord has been dealing with his
people, and his men, the two on the road to Emmaus, a wonderful
passage of revealing to them what the scriptures that they
had in their hands, the Old Testament, what it was dealing about. It
was dealing about him and the salvation of his people and the
true gospel there that was spoken of and opened their eyes and
as it was the gospel of their salvation that he opened their
understanding, it says here in the last chapter. He opened their
understanding to see not only that he was the Lord in their
presence, but all those things that he had been talking about,
what they're truly speaking about, the gospel. And that is the gospel
of your salvation, and the word of truth, it says, and that is
only strictly what God has delivered to his people. and made alive
by the Spirit and revealed those things to us. Many people know
the words of the scripture. They know the literal, the English
language or whatever language of it. They know those things,
but if the Spirit doesn't open the eyes and put it in His people,
there's just so many words and they're good words, but they're
not salvation just by having them in our hands. by his spirit, makes him alive
to his people, makes us alive through this preaching of the
gospel to his people. And not as it said in Galatians,
not another gospel, but the true gospel of the scriptures. And
then starting with verse 15, also in Ephesians chapter one,
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus
and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. the
eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness
of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his
mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him
from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly
places. far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but that
which is to come. And hath put all things under
his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth
all in all. In here above, that Paul prays
for this, indeed this is the only way it happens, is that
it says, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father, may
give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge
of him. There was a man that preached
here a time that one of the messages he said, in his message he said,
The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing. And
it's that main thing he was speaking about is the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's the main thing of the scripture to his people. And
as it says in here, that he would give us the spirit of wisdom
and revelation and the knowledge of Him, of Christ. And that's
what the gospel message is to His people and to those that
are His. And just verse one of chapter
two of Ephesians, not going through the whole book at this time,
it says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins. And it goes on there, and by
grace we are saved, through faith in that not of ourselves, it's
of him. But here, speaking to those that you hath he quickened,
and these things are for God's people, and we can, we can know
them and learn them, but it's not a one-time thing. The feeding
of the sheep is always, and it's always the same message. As what has been brought up before,
someone at one time asked their pastor or said a comment about
he only had one message or he commented to them only one message. And he didn't mean only one repeat
all the time but only one message and that's keeping the main thing
the main thing and we're so blessed to have a pastor and others that
we know that indeed stick to the gospel as the scriptures
have it and not another gospel that's not another gospel and
that's the That's the blessings we have in our local groups that
God has pastors that indeed feed the sheep in that way, and we
are so blessed by that. And just a couple more spots
in 1 Timothy. And that's not to slight all
the scripture obviously that we have, but in 1 Timothy chapter
2, 1 Timothy chapter 2, first verse
it says, I exhort, therefore, that first
of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of
thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in
authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness
and honesty. For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one
God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ
Jesus. who gave himself a ransom for
all to be testified in due time, whereunto I am ordained a preacher
and an apostle. I speak the truth in Christ,
and lie not, a teacher of the Gentiles, in faith and verity. Here speaking of his prayer for all that God's
people may lead a peaceful and quiet and godly life, an honest
life, a good thing. Good, it says, and acceptable
in the sight of our Savior. And it says, verse five, there's
one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. And that is, again, the substance
of the gospel, and that verse there can be unfolded in so much
of the scripture, in all of the scripture, as he showed those
to Emmaus. Expounded in all the scriptures
they had, those things concerning himself. and that we find that,
we find verses that we think we know and have a pretty good
handle on, and another light will come a different direction
on that, and we'll say, wow, I didn't, that's, wow, we see
that in a different light, still speaking of our Lord and not
another gospel, as he said. And second, Timothy. Turn the
corner there to 2 Timothy for just a little bit. Verse 7, 2 Timothy, first verse,
our first chapter, it says, for God hath not given us the spirit
of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. Be not
thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of
me his prisoner, But be thou partaker of the afflictions of
the gospel according to the power of God, who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. in verse 10, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. The gospel, life and immortality
to life through the gospel. And verse nine up here in particular,
I have a star, but I underline it in parentheses around it.
It says, speaking of God and his power of the gospel, who
has saved us and called us with unholy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. You take
some of these other verses and stuff them into what 1 John said
that he's going to do in the book of 1 John, praying that
these things are for the joy and comfort of God's people.
Indeed, the gospel is that, and it's the only place we have that. In 1 Corinthians, we're going
to finish up with this. Back in 1 Corinthians, the first
chapter and the last few verses we're
very familiar with, but ones I wanted to read as we're closing. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30. It says, but of him are ye in
Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written,
he that glorieth, letting glory in the Lord. And I, brethren,
when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or
wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined
not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness,
and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of man, but in the power of God. And as we know
that Our brother Jonah said, salvation is of the Lord, and
God's people will say nothing but that, and that's indeed as
it stands here. And again, with not our fancy words
or anything, and I firmly believe that the words that we have in
scripture say it much better than we can say it. And we're
on safe ground when we use the scripture in what it has to say.